Question Number: 26827

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/24/2012

Scott Fitch of San Mateo, CA USA asks...

Corner kick. Attacking team places two players just outside near post closer to corner kick taker. Two players positioned there wave arms in the air yelling 'a qui, a qui' as loudly as they can.

Is this allowable? Seems unsporting to me and a tactic designed to distract keeper. It worked.

Two different instances - once keeper was on her back post the other keeper was closer to her near post.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Scott At one time in the Laws this was clearly seen as 'ungentlemanly conduct' which was a caution and the original restart retaken. In the modern game it seems to be more tolerated and it is no longer written expressly in the Laws with the exception that if the referee believes that the player has verbally distracted an opponent then it is a caution for USB and either an IDFK if the ball was in play or a retake of the restart if the ball was not in play. That is a rare enough caution. As a referee if I was unhappy with the situation I would simply not allow the kick to be taken and speak to both players asking them to 'desist' from the 'behaviour'. A repeat would then be a caution and I may wait for the ball to be put into play which then makes it an IDFK restart. I might add that communication between players should never be penalised. I guess one has to ask how many times a player need to call for the ball or if it is done for unsporting reasons?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Aqui is 'here'! in Spanish. One supposes the teammates were simply communicating to the kicker, not deliberately distracting the keeper. A keeper who allows themselves to be distracted thusly should not be looking to the referee for help.

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